Moshic

[LoUiS]

Hey guys. Does anyone knows if Moshic's new album is out?

[TomTom]

No clue, I wait for this one as well. His website hasn't been updated since ages and under news you can read since months that his new double album will be available in 2005 but no exact date. :?

[rewing3]

Try looking around on google or something to see if any other site has any news about.

[tallinn:express]

Re: Moshic

here is an interview with Moshic from 19.03.2005.
u can find there some info about upcoming album.

ENGLISH VERSION

First of all, thank you so much for yesterday?s party!...

-Yeah, i have lots of things to say about it. Well, basically, i was hoping for better conditions. I?m not a techno guy, its pretty hard for me to play with 2 channels. And the dj booth, the lights ? all that was really really weird? Plus that idea of a battle with a local dj ? half for half an hour ? not a good idea to say the least? Well, guess it?s all because it was my first gig here?

Some certain things in the yesterday?s event made us a bit concerned about what you are going to play. So, here is a question: do you try to construct your set according to the crowd or do you play what you feel like, no matter what?

- I always try to come early to the club, learning the atmosphere, and i try to play the way i feel about the atmosphere, you know? Like yesterday, when i came to the club at about ten o?clock, i saw crowds of people already in the club, i saw the energy there, and i was like ?Wow! This is gonna be great!?. And then they tell me that i?m gonna have to play that ?battle schedule?! And plus those other things. And it pissed me off, to tell the truth? Cause you know, i?m not a techno or drum?n?base guy. In progressive, you need at least 5 hours to tell your story. And i couldn?t. I said ok, i?m gonna play, cause of all those fans that came for me, but it wasn?t a real Moshic show yesterday.

We know your art mostly through the internet, and there was a slight concern about one of your latest mixes among some of your fans. We?re talking about your live @ Hawaii. Some people thought that it was a bit too commercial for you. Was it not?

- Well, that?s a surprise for me, really [?big eyes?]. As i?ve said, what i play live depends much on the place and the audience. And it was a New Year party, so everybody was drunk and happy, I was drunk too? So there was no time for dark underground, it was just all about fun, that?s it.
-- Yeah, that?s what we thought too. When you come to Hawaii, there?s no place for dark sound, it?s a paradise!
- Exactly! It?s just so different ? you feel happy, you go surfing and stuff?
So no way it was a commercial sound. Maybe it?s because people used to hear a very dark side of me. But i?m not always dark! Every artist has different directions of his art. Yes, probably dark music made me famous, but i play other music too ? in some places in Israel i play ?groove?, some nights i play techno. Sometimes i play undercover, so nobody know it was me. So, as i told you, it depends on a place. I have the Moshic?s signature sound, but Hawaii was not an example of it.

So, let us ask you one more time about why do you love the dark sound so much?

-Because i see the beauty behind dark. You know, like most people think: white is positive, black is negative, and that?s it. And it?s not that simple. I think there?s a lot of beauty behind dark side, dark atmosphere, elements? Much more than in an uplifting music. It?s much more complicated. There?s a big message behind dark. I know that many people make their career through happy house, happy music. So maybe it?s my place in the world to show the beauty of dark. I didn?t choose it, more like it chose me ? dark sound always thrilled me from the times i can remember myself.
I know that many people connect dark music with ugly things, bad energies, drugs? I also know that some people who listen to my music take drugs, but i don?t. And i influence people without drugs. And that?s the proof that there?s no connection between music and drugs.

Was your style of play always dark or it came through some changes in a time?

-You know, even today when people come to me and say something like: ?Wow! We like your style! Its so special!?, well i don?t see it that way. I play what i feel like. And i find things about my ?style? only through outside. It?s like that i didn?t know i play dark till people came to me and said: ?It was good, but it was dark!?.

Many people who became famous thanks to progressive have now changed their style eventually. How did you managed to keep progressive sound and keep your sound still so interesting for the audience?

- First of all, that?s a big compliment, really. Today dark progressive is like a very hard art. You know, my theory is that today, with all that commercial music brainwash, MTV and stuff, people became much more persistent for the underground sound. If they come to the club and don?t hear that high stuff they got used to they just block themselves. So it became harder to keep people thrilled with dark underground sound. But i have to say that i?m not trying to gain popularity, i just play what i feel like. Maybe that?s why you listen to my music.

Seems like progressive?s going through bad times lately. The overall sound becoming too trancy, too cheesy. You won?t find releases of Bedrock Black or Zero Tolerance anymore. What?s going on?

-Yeah, i know. There?s a big change in the scene. Lots of djs swept their sound from progressive into electro and stuff. I think they just went trendy, that?s it. A real dj will stay faithful to the elements of his sound. As for labels, well, there?s the same problem ? labels search profit, and if they don?t find it they move to another sound, following the trendy wave. Of course it?s not right, but it?s the way it is.
And i tell you one thing ? i don?t see myself ?inside? progressive genre. I?m trying to build my own place ?under? progressive. And i know that today people can recognize me just by the sound of the mix. And that?s my goal. I don?t like when people say: ?Oh, he plays progressive house!?. Yes, i am part of progressive genre, but i have my own place over there. I?m trying to be different, without any borders.

You have a big name now, many music fans in the world know you, but you still stay in the underground. How did you managed not to follow the profit? Doesn?t money concern you at all?

- That?s a good question? I think it?s about where you are coming from - your family. My parents always taught me that money ? is bullshit. Many people want to have lots of money, but when they get it ? they loose their soul, they don?t have love, they forget about who they really are. And what do they get? You know, we use to say: ?Every reach people have their own problems.? And the more money you have, the more problems you have. Where i grew up happiness is to have food, nice house and to have love in your life. I?m not married or something, but music is my love right now. And i don?t think that mixing love with money is a good idea.(!) I?m happy with what i am doing, why should i chase for money? To drive a BMW or something? That?s not a meaning of life, you know.

Some time ago western mass media used to lay great expectations on Oriental electronic scene. But it seems like something went wrong and expectations were not realized. Many talented people, like Yunus, Subsky, changed there sound into a more trancy commercial stuff. Why do you think that?s happening?

- Well, i can?t say for those people you named of. And also i didn?t know about those expectations from mass media. Maybe you?re right that many oriental dj/producers have seriously cut there production. But i think it?s a global problem. Cause today it?s very hard to sell your work ? the world gone broadband, and mp3 is everywhere. And people just don?t want to pay for it. Even underground fans don?t want to pay a dollar for a track when they can get it for free. And we just see the results of it?

Do you think this is possible to survive if your priority will be a production of music, and not playing of it?

- No. No, definitely not! And maybe that?s the problem. The only real money you get is for playing music, not producing it. I know a lot of producers who had to learn to dj if they wanted to stay in the industry. They just won?t survive if they not. Cause even if your track is going inside the compilation, you won?t get money for it in most cases. Labels always trying get away without paying you. There?s a lot of shit politics within the labels. Even in the underground. So the only way for now is to be a dj. And it?s a big gift for me that i can be a dj and a producer together. I know a lot of producers who just have to work another jobs to survive.

But if you have to work on another job you can?t concentrate on music, and it?s bad for your art?

- Yes, it?s very hard. Though there might be another option here. Today you can put your music straight to the specialized websites ? no labels, no middlemen ? and people can download your track for an about a dollar or less. And i hope this thing will grow bigger and bigger, so producers will see real money for their work.

In our last interview you mentioned some names of talented young producers like Vek, Double Du and others. So how are they doing?

- Well, this is closely connected to what we?ve said before. Currently they do nothing, they just gave up? Double Du got another job so he could have enough money for life. Vek is in the army right now, and he doesn?t have enough time to sit in the studio? And it?s really sad they?ve quitted. I tried to help them cause they?re really talented? Well, hope they?ll get back to it after some time, but I will continue pushing other artists anyway.
So it?s really hard today to survive if you are not a dj with a big name. That?s why i?ve opened my label Contrast ? to give a stage to young artists. I give 50% of the profit to an artist ? no games, no tricks. Artist is always a partner of release; he?s taking part in the design and stuff.

Speaking of Contrast label, why do you have such big breaks between releases?

- First of all i have to say that i?ve been very busy lately with my album, but as soon as i finish it i?ll try to make a release every month on Contrast.

How was the first release of the Contrast label met by the public?

- It was a big surprise for me. It sold out big time, so we had to print it out again! Though the design of that vinyl was very simple. I actually think that there is no point in some special colored design for the record. It?ll just cost you more, but it?s all about the music anyway? So those two tracks of mine ? ?Nanok? and ?Dynamic Link? ? were really well met, and i think that is the proof that people really need dark progressive?
-- Well maybe not just dark progressive, maybe sensual music in general?
- Yeah, exactly.

What you played yesterday was a real surprise even for your loyal fans. Almost all tracks we heard for the first time. So what was that?

- Its nice to hear that. The fact is that i always try not to play tracks that are already popular among other djs. And what i?ve played yesterday was my music mostly. Of course i use tracks of other producers, but i?m very picky and i never play it as it is. So i take a track that i?ve liked and edit it in the studio using my own elements. You know, it?s like a chef using his own sauces for dishes.

Let?s get back to your album. Tell us in details about it.

- It?s a two disks project ? a progressive cd and an ambient downtempo cd. It has a strong ethnic influence, Arabic culture influence. And i tried to create a connection between progressive and downtempo. I used the same elements in both of them, so you can hear a completion of the melodies from the dowtempo cd on the progressive one. Both disks are mixed.
It is a very big work for me, my first album. I hope it?ll meet the expectations of an audience.

-- On what stage is it?

- 98%.

-- So it?s almost finished?

- My manager will tell you that it?s already finished, but i want to make a few more things with it. I?m a perfectionist, you know?

Your yesterdays set sometimes reminded Israeli goa trance, sometimes American house, like Danny Tenaglia?s sound. Where was it closer to?

- Well, those both things had an influence on me. So there?s no surprise you hear some elements of them in my music. Goa trance was very popular in Israel when i was a kid; you could hear it all around you ? cars, record shops, radio. And about Tenaglia ? i just like his sets, it?s a very gay and powerful house. So maybe you hear some elements of his music in my sets?

How often do you travel worldwide? Are you popular enough with foreign promoters?

- Of course, my name is getting bigger throughout time ? the more you work, the more popular you get. But at the same time i try to avoid playing everywhere. I won?t play at the same city on a distance of few months. I want to be special; i want people to miss me. Its not about the money, it?s about art. You know, i probably have the only manager in the world who doesn?t think about the money, he cares about the music. Even when people come to Avi and beg him to book me on a second party at the same place close after the first one he says that it?s possible only after some time. So i think two or three countries in a month is enough for now. In the beginning i played a lot, i worked very hard to promote my name. But now i can allow myself to refuse some bookings.

We had a feeling you were very eager to visit Russia. Do you think we have a potential of some kind? Cause, you know, we have a pretty shitty club industry, if it can be called so anyway?

- Yeah, i knew that something will go wrong here. I knew that clubs here are not the best, that most of people here are not musically educated. But i get a lot of letters from Russia. A lot of letters! So i knew i have to go there to contribute myself to local scene, to give people what i can, what is possible. I know you have a lot of problems here. But, you know what, i saw that in a lot of countries: Hungary, Latin America. First time i came there the sound was crap, but the audience was full of passion. And look ? today those countries set up the greatest parties i?ve ever seen. So i think it?ll get better and better in Russia too. And those groups of people like the one that was around me when i played yesterday can change a lot, they can influence other people. I know it cause i saw their passion, they were feeding on music!
[Moshic suddenly interrupts our discussion:]
- How far is St. Petersburg from here? Now let me interview you guys a little bit?

-- About 900 kilometers. 8 hours by train, 45 mins by air.

- So how can you explain me that everyone tells me that if you go to St. Petersburg it?ll be much better? Why?

-- Well, maybe people there are more ?european? kind, they?re more relaxed. Petersburg is the motherland of Russian club culture, first Russian djs appeared there. You know, there?s an opinion that Moscow is an extremely commercial city and people here prefer other people to entertain them, and people in St. Petersburg like to entertain themselves.

- ?so they come for the music, not for the people. They?re not fancy-thinking.

-- Yeah, you?re right?
What was the story behind that mix cd for the DJ Magazine? What was the goal of it? How much was it helpful for your work?

- DJ mag chose me for this disk among all the musicians of this genre. So i wanted to make something special, something with a message. I wanted to show people the spirit of the Middle East. People mostly know Middle East through TV news only, but TV can?t reproduce the spirit of it. The music can. So i?ve chose some musicians in the area with a special sound and made this mix. Some people said that it?s too commercial ? my disk will go all round the world. But still it?s an underground cause it?s for free. Plus it?s a promotion, and not so as for me as for Eastern progressive in general. I could make a mix of my own tracks and make a promotion for me or take tracks of some well-known artists, but i?ve chose some unknown producers with a unique sound who could deliver a message.

It?s being like a tendency lately that people that used to play dark underground progressive eventually transform into a more commercial music. And we are really anxious about it. Tell us, is there absolutely no way on Earth you can start following this tendency?

- No way.
-- Thank you. ()
- Yeah, i just can?t. That?s me, and i can?t completely reverse myself. How can i wake up someday in the morning and say like ?Ok dude, let?s make commercial music now!?. I?m not a psycho.
But you know what, i DO make commercial stuff. But it?s only when i need to make some money. And i NEVER use my name for it. I make it under other names. There?s no shame in that. But underground for me is the highest level, and i?m not gonna go down.

So now, what impressions from visiting Moscow do you have more ? positive or negative?

- Positive, of course. I?ve met a lot of good people here. You know what, i was walking down in the center today with my friend and suddenly i heard my music! Full volume! You know, i?m a simple guy; i have no idea that i?m famous! And here is my track playing! So we came closer and saw a guy selling my cd to another guy, convincing him that this is a great music. And then he saw me and was like ?OOOOOOOh!!! It?s Moshic! Moshic!!!?. And then another guy?s eyes started growing bigger and bigger! I mean what are the chances to come to Russia for a couple of days and meat a guy selling my cd on the street! And then he showed me two cds ? my live from Peru and Essential mix ? with production, pictures and stuff. They make cds like professionals! Yes, it?s a fake, but it?s a big compliment for me. By the way, we went to other stores and also saw my cds there! So when i?ll come back home i won?t say to my friends that everything was great, that we had a top party there, but i will say a much more important thing ? that my music came to people, came into their hearts and souls. And even if it?s only 10 people: to influence 10 or 1000 is the same for me. So i?m happy! I saw my message came to you. And next party will be better, it?s not a problem.

-- We?re sure it will.

taken from mixmag.ru

[LV-8]

Re: Moshic

This is album waaaaaay overdue.

[ecpolonyc]

Re: Moshic

This is album waaaaaay overdue.

Yes it is. As well as playing in NYC.

[Lorn]

Re: Moshic

Great interview....I've always been a fan of Moshic's productions.

[Lorn]

Re: Moshic

Yes it is. As well as playing in NYC.

Damn that would be sweet!

[Jibgolly]

spoke to moshic about a month ago. he said the album would be out sometime this year but didnt know when cos he was shopping it around. expect him to drop some info around the release date. :wink:

[jeffrey collins]

Re: Moshic

I would realy like to know what Moshic has in store for us in an artist album. Could end up being something pretty fierce.

[dvs]

Re: Moshic

when is he coming back to NYC? missed him when he played at Vinyl sometime back...

http://www.madeevent.com/112302.php

[palmer]

I will always have a place in my heart for this guy. I love everything he touches.

[Weizy]

Re: Moshic

can't wait for the new album, this guy is one talented mofo

[cmd]

Re: Moshic

when is he coming back to NYC? missed him when he played at Vinyl sometime back...

http://www.madeevent.com/112302.php

last time i saw him post on this board i asked him about us tour dates and he said that he isn't popular enough to play here in the states, something like that. which is sad, i would love to see moshic throw a live set at cielo, spirit, sullivan room or whatever, but i guess it isn't happening any time soon... damn you, tiesto and the likes of you...